Drapery traverse rods



P 1959 H. R. MASON 2,880,955

DRAPERY TRAVERSE RODS Filed May 22, 1956 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Homer R.Mason IN VEN TOR.

April 7, 1959 H. R. MASON DRAPERY TRAVERSE RODS.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PI Ill ll ll Filed May 22, 1956 Homer R. MasonINVENTOR.

am I United States Patent DRAPERY TRAVERSE RODS Homer R. Mason, Fontana,Calif.

Application May 22, 1956, Serial No. 586,470

2 Claims. (Cl. 248-263) My invention relates to improvements in draperytraverse rods of the type in which leader and idler hanger carriers forwindow drapes are housed in a non-extensible hollow rod and a pull cordoperates the leader carrier to open and close the drapes. 1 The primaryobject of my invention is to provide an improved rod of the above typeadapted for mounting on either the curtain rod and curtain shade hangersof my U.S. Patent No. 2,738,154, dated March 13, 1956, or on a windowframe and with the traverse rod extending beyond the sides of the windowframe to any desired extent, and whereby window drapes may be extendedwell beyond" the sides of the window without attachment of the traverserods therefor to the wall.

Another object is to provide improved means for mounting the carriers inthe rod for sliding therein with a minimum of friction but in engagementat the top and bottom thereof with the top and bottom of the traverserod for stabilizing the carriers.

Still another object is to provide an adapter bracket for attaching thetraverse rod to either the curtain rod and curtain shade hanger bracketsof my patent, supra, or to a wall easily and securely.

Yet another object is to accomplish the above objections withoutmaterially increasing the cost of manufacture of the traverse rod.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of my improved traverse rodattached to the curtain rod and curtain shade hanger brackets;

Figure 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary view in front elevation partlybroken away of the same;

Figure 3 is an enlarged view in vertical transverse section taken on theline 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged view in front elevation of one of the idlercarriers;

Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the leader carrierspartly disassembled;

Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective view of another of the leadercarriers;

Figure 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the adapter bracket;

Figure 8 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the curtain rod andcurtain shade hanger brackets on which the traverse rod is adapted to bemounted by the adapter bracket;

Figure 9 is an enlarged fragmentary view in perspective of the adapterbracket attached to a window frame, and

Figure 10 is a perspective view of a modified carrier.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, the traverse rod 1 is hollow, ofrectangular shape in cross section with open ends, a flat top 3, frontand rear vertical side walls 5, 7, the front wall 5 being formed with arear channel track 9 extending along the bottom edge and spaced from therear wall 7. A pair of confronting leading drapery carriers 11 areprovided in the rod 1 and several idler'drapery carriers 13 between thecarriers 11 and the ends 15 of said rod 1.

Each leader carrier 11 in the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to-6 is ofoblong rectangular form in outline and formed of a single piece of lightstrong metal bent upon itself to provide a rear side 17 dependingthrough the space between the rear wall 7 and the channel track 9, anupwardly inclined edge portion 19 of double thickness and a forwardlyand downwardly inclined front side 21 having a lower edge portion 23perpendicular to the channel track 9. The edge portion 23 is providedadjacent the ends of the carrier 11 with a pair of depending roundedtabs 25 coplanar therewith fitted and suitably fixed in circumferentialtop slots 27 in a pair of bronze disks 29 slidable in the channel track9 and supporting the carrier 11 for sliding along said track. -Anantifriction ball 31 is suitably held in the center of the upper edgeportion 19 to ride against therear side Wall 7. I The conventional pullcord 33 is trained around a pulley 35 in the rod 1 at one end thereofand over a pair of upper and lower pulleys 37, 39 in said rod 1 at itsother end to provide upper and lower runs 41, 43 of said cord forattachment to the leader carriers 11 to move the same toward and fromeach other. The leader carriers 11 are provided adjacent the endsthereof with bendable cars 45 bent out of the front side 21 and crimpedaround said runs 41, 43. Apertures 47 are provided in the rear side 17of each carrier 11 for attachment of drapes, not shown, thereto and aleading overlap, apertured prong 49 on one carrier 11 for the samepurpose as is usual.

Each idler carrier 13 comprises a strip of metal bent upon itself toprovide like the leader carriers 11, a rear depending side 53, anupwardly and rearwardly inclined edge portion 55 and a forwardly anddownwardly inclined front side 57 having a lower edge portion 59perpendicular to the track 9 and provided with a depending rounded tab61 fitted and secured in a circumferential slot 63 in a bronze disk 65sliding in the track 9. The edge portion 55 is provided with anantifriction ball 67 like the leader carriers 11 and said idler carriers13 as will be understood are provided with an aperture 69 for attachmentof a drape thereto.

A pair of adapter brackets 71 are provided on the traverse rod 1 ofright angled shape for attachment of the rod. These brackets eachinclude a front upwardly opening flat channel section 73 straddling thetraverse rod 1 and slidable along said rod 1. Each channel section 73 isformed with a right angled end flange 75 riveted, as at 77, to a fiatarm 79 extending rearwardly from the channel section 73 and terminatingin a right angled rear end flange 81. The flange 81 is provided with avertical slot 83.

The vertical slots 83 provide for attachment of the adapter brackets 71over vertical cars 24 of the hangers 12 of my aforesaid patent whichinclude vertical base members 14 secured by screws 16 to opposite sides18 of a window frame and adapted as disclosed in said patent to supporta window shade roller 20 behind the traverse bar 1. The flanges 81 areprovided with vertical ears 85 adapted to support the usual curtain rod87 between the roller 21 and the traverse rod 1. The slots 83 alsoprovide for attachment of the adapter brackets 71 to the sides 18 of thewindow frame independently of the hangers 12 outwardly thereof by screws84 as shown in Figure 9.

As will be manifest the adapter brackets 71 being slidable on thetraverse rod 1, said brackets may be readily 3 attached to either thehangers 12 or to the sides 18 of thewindowframe'to support said traverserod with drapes thereon and a curtain rod in front of a window shade onthe a ger nd he. tra erse ro 1. m b of an desired e h x nd eyo d the Sids o th Window m i hou a me t ott' 'the wa a PPQ ite sides of the windowframe.

A modified carrier such as shown Figure 1Q may "be usedin the rod 1 inlieu of the carriers 11, 13. This modified carrier 87 is formed ofmolded nylon is of vertically elongated shape with Ian upper thickenedend '89 having a transversely convex undercutlip 91 adapted to ride inthe track 9 and a relatively thinner flat portion 93 adapted to dependthrough the space between said track 9 and the rear wall 7 of said rod1, The portion 93 is provided with vertically spaced apertures 95 forattachm t f drap thereto, and he hi k n d e d portio is provided "withtransverse bores .97 for extension of the, runs 41, 43 of the pull cord41 therethrough and which may be fixed in said bores or run free thereinaccording to use of the carrier 87 as a leader or an idler carrier.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention .to the exact construction .and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equi al a e reo ed to, fa ng it n h are offthe invention as claimed;

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. The combination with a pair of shade and curtain hangers havingvertical ears and attachable to opposite sides of a window frame, of ahollow flat sided drapery traverse rod having an open bottom and a fiatrear wall, and a pair of adapter brackets for attaching said rod to saidhangers comprising a pair of upwardly opening flat rectangular channelsfrictionally fitting upwardly over the rear wall of said traverse rodand in which the traverse rod is endwise slidable for centering oftraverse rods of different lengths relative to a window, said bracketsfurther including right angled horizontal arms on said channels havingterminal slotted lateral flanges thereon fitting over and interlockingwith said ears.

2. The combination of claim 1, said flanges having vertical right angledears thereon for attachment thereto of curtain rods.

References Gited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,818,786 Bond Aug. 11, 1931 1,973,487 Kenny et al. Sept. 11, 19342,321,334 Thexton June 8, 1943 2,627,625 Kunath Feb. 10, 1953 2,648,869French et a1. Aug. 18, 1953 2,705,566 Ford et al. Apr. 5, 19,552,720,919 Ford et al Oct. 18, 1 955 FOREIGN PATENTS 27,693 Great BritainJuly 22, 19Q9

